Kobo Glo review

STORAGE

A Micro SD card slot lets you expand the eReader’s storage, should the 2GB onboard prove to be too small

As seems the norm for eReaders, the Kobo Glo has 2GB of RAM, although there’s a Micro SD card slot, which will take up to 32GB cards. Given that you should be able to fit around 1,000 books into the standard memory, you probably won’t need to add a memory card, but it’s still a nice option just in case.

WIRELESS

There’s no 3G version of the Kobo Glo, but it does have built-in 802.11n wireless. For most people Wi-Fi is good enough, as you can load your eReader with books before you go away or simply use a hotspot if you’re away and need a new book.

BUILD QUALITY

We like the quilted back, and the Glo feels well made and comfortable to hold

Build quality is excellent. We like the soft-touch quilted back and the plastic case feels tough and well-built. At 185g it’s 28g lighter than the Wi-Fi only Kindle Paperwhite, although it’s 0.9mm thicker. In truth there’s not much in it and both devices are comfortable and easy to carry around everywhere.

CONCLUSION

We really like the Kobo Glo. It’s fast, easy to use and the shop and apps gives you a similar experience to Amazon, but there’s the added benefit that you can buy your eBooks from anywhere. That said, we prefer the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, as its light is more even and helps boost contrast. We’re also happy with the Amazon store, which is still the best stocked, and don’t mind not being able to buy books from other places. However, if you want freedom to buy books from where you want, the Kobo Glo is an excellent alternative and well-priced. It wins a Best Buy award.